Diabetes Risk Factors

What is diabetes?

Doctors usually diagnose type 1 diabetes in childhood, although it can occur
in adults also. Type 1 diabetes affects the body’s ability to produce insulin.
This hormone is vital to helping the body utilize blood sugar. Without enough
insulin, the extra blood sugar can damage the body. According to the American
Diabetes Association, 5 percent of all people with diabetes have type 1
diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that affects a body’s ability to use insulin
properly. Unlike people with type 1 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes make
some insulin. However, they can’t make enough to keep up with rising blood
sugar levels. Doctors associate type 2 diabetes with lifestyle-related factors
like obesity.

Gestational diabetes is a condition that causes women to have very high
blood sugar levels during pregnancy. This condition is typically temporary.

Having risk factors does not mean that someone will get diabetes.

What
genetic factors affect diabetes risk?

Doctors don’t know the exact cause of type 1 diabetes. Family history of
type 1 diabetes is considered a risk factor. According to the American
Diabetes Association, the child of a man with type 1 diabetes has a 1 in 17
chance of developing type 1 diabetes. If a woman has type 1 diabetes, her child
has a 1 in 25 chance if the child was born when the woman was younger than 25.
Women with type 1 diabetes who give birth at age 25 or older have a 1 in 100 chance
of having a child with type 1 diabetes.

Having a parent with type 2 diabetes also increases diabetes risk. Because
diabetes is often related to lifestyle choices, parents may pass on poor health
habits to their children. This increases their risk for getting types 2
diabetes.

People of certain ethnicities are also at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
This includes:

African-Americans

Native Americans

Asian-Americans

Pacific Islanders

Hispanic Americans

Women have an increased risk for gestational diabetes if they have a close
family member who has diabetes.

What environmental factors affect diabetes risk?

Having a virus (type unknown) at an early age may trigger type 1 diabetes in
some individuals. People are also more likely to have type 1 diabetes if they
live in a cold climate. Doctors also diagnose patients with type 1 diabetes in
the winter more often than the summer.

What
lifestyle factors affect diabetes risk?

Type 1 diabetes may have some diet-related factors. According to the American
Diabetes Association, babies who were not breastfed are at an increased
risk for diabetes. The same is true for babies that were given solid foods at
an early age.

What
are some misconceptions related to diabetes risk factors?

A common misconception about diabetes is that vaccines cause diabetes.
According to the CDC, there is no evidence to support this claim.

Content licensed from:

Written by: Rachel Nall, RN, BSNon: Nov 06, 2017

This feature is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your health care provider. Please consult a health care professional with any health concerns you may have.